THE DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI ACT, 1961 
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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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SECTIONS 

1.  Short title, extent and commencement. 
2.  Definitions. 
3.  Representation in the House of the People.  
4.  Varishta Panchayat. 
5.  Other functionaries. 
6.  Property and assets. 
7.  Rights and obligations. 
8.  Continuance of existing laws. 
9.  Continuance of existing taxes. 
10.  Power to extend enactments to Dadra and Nagar Haveli. 
11.  Extension of the jurisdiction of Bombay High Court to Dadra and Nagar Haveli. 
12.  Powers of courts and other authorities for purposes of facilitating the application of    laws. 
13.  Power to remove difficulties. 
14.  Power to make rules. 

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THE DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI ACT, 1961 

ACT NO. 35 OF 1961 

An  Act  to  make  provision  for  the  representation  of  the  Union  territory  of  Dadra  and  Nagar 
Haveli  in  Parliament  and  for  the  administration  of  that  Union  territory  and  for  matters 
connected therewith.  

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Twelfth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—  

1. Short title, extent and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the Dadra and Nagar Haveli 

Act, 1961.  

[2nd September, 1961.]  

(2) It extends to the whole of the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.  

(3) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 11th day of August, 1961. 

2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—  

(a) “Administrator” means the Administrator of the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli 

appointed by the President under article 239 of the Constitution;  

(b) “appointed day” means the eleventh day of August, 1961;  

(c) “Dadra and Nagar Haveli” means the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli;  

(d)  “Varishta  Panchayat” means  the  Varishta  Panchayat  as  in  existence  immediately  before  the 

appointed day. 

3.  Representation  in  the  House  of  the  People.—(1) There shall be allotted one seat to the Union 

territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli in the House of the People.  

(2) In the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950),—  

(a)  in  section  4,  in  sub-section  (1),  after  the  words  “to  the  Laccadive,  Minicoy  and  Amindivi 

Islands”. the words “, to Dadra and Nagar Haveli” shall be inserted:  

(b) in the First Schedule,— 

(i) after entry 21, the following entry shall be inserted, namely:— 

 “22. Dadra and Nagar Haveli..........1”; 

(ii) entries 22 and 23 shall be re-numbered as entries 23 and 24 respectively.  

 (3) In the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951), in section 4, after the words  “to the 

Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands”, the words “, to Dadra and Nagar Haveli” shall be inserted.  

4.  Varishta  Panchayat.—(1) Until other provision is made by law, as from the commencement of 
this  Act  the  Varishta  Panchayat  shall  have  the  right  to  discuss  and  make  recommendations  to  the 
Administrator on,—  

(a) matters of administration involving general policy and schemes of development;  

(b) any other matter referred to it by the Administrator.  

(2) The functions of the Varishta Panchayat referred to in this section will be advisory only but due 
regard shall be given to such advice by the Administrator in reaching decisions on the matter in relation to 
which the advice is given.  

(3) No act or proceeding of the Varishta Panchayat shall be invalid by reason only of the existence of 

any vacancy amongst its members or any defect in the constitution thereof.  

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(4)  Every  member  of  the  Varishta  Panchayat  shall  before  entering  upon  his  duties  under  this  Act 

make and subscribe before the Administrator an oath or affirmation in the following form, namely:— 

“I,  A.B.,  a  member  of  the  Varishta  Panchayat  of  the  Union  territory  of  Dadra  and  Nagar  Haveli,  do      
swear  in  the  name  of  God  that  I  will  bear  true  faith  and  allegiance  to  the  Constitution  of  India                                             
solemly    affirm       
as  by  law  established  and  that  I  will  faithfully  discharge  the  duty  upon  which  I  am  about                       

to enter.”. 

5.  Other  functionaries.—Without  prejudice  to  the  powers  of  the  Central  Government  to  appoint 
from time to time such officers and authorities as may be necessary for the administration of Dadra and 
Nagar  Haveli,  all  judges,  magistrates  and  other  officers  and  authorities  who  immediately  before  the 
appointed day were exercising lawful functions in Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli or any part thereof shall, 
until other provision is made by law, continue to exercise in connection with the administration of Dadra 
and  Nagar  Haveli  their  respective  functions  in  the  same  manner  and  to  the  same  extent  as  before  the 
appointed day. 

6. Property and assets.—It is hereby declared that all property and assets which immediately before 
the appointed day vested in the Varishta Panchayat or the Administrator of Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli 
shall, as from that day, vest in the Union. 

7.  Rights  and  obligations.—All  rights,  liabilities  and  obligations  of  the  Varishta  Panchayat  or  the 
Administrator of Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli in relation to Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli shall, as from 
the appointed day, be the rights, liabilities and obligations of the Central Government. 

8.  Continuance  of existing  laws.—Save as otherwise provided in this Act all laws in force in Free 
Dadra and Nagar Haveli immediately before the appointed day shall continue to be in force until repealed 
or amended by Parliament or other competent authority. 

9.  Continuance  of  existing  taxes.—All taxes, duties, cesses or fees which, immediately before the 
appointed  day,  were  being  lawfully  levied  in  Free  Dadra  and  Nagar  Haveli  or  any  part  thereof  shall 
continue to be levied and to be applied to the same purposes, until other provisions is made by Parliament 
or other competent authority. 

10. Power to extend enactments to Dadra and Nagar Haveli.—The Central Government may, by 
notification in the Official Gazette, extend with such restrictions or modifications as it thinks fit, to Dadra 
and Nagar Haveli any enactment which is in force in a State at the date of the notification. 

11. Extension of the jurisdiction of Bombay High Court to Dadra and Nagar Haveli.—As from 
such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify the jurisdiction 
of the High Court at Bombay shall extend to Dadra and Nagar Haveli. 

12.  Powers  of  courts  and  other  authorities  for  purposes  of  facilitating  the  application  of    

laws.—For the purpose of facilitating the application of any law in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, any court or 
other authority may construe any such law with such alterations not affecting the substance, as may be 
necessary or proper to adapt it to the matter before the court or other authority. 

13.  Power  to  remove  difficulties.—(1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of 
this  Act  or  in  connection  with  the  administration  of  Dadra  and  Nagar  Haveli,  the  Central  Government 
may, by order, make such further provision as appears to it to be necessary or expedient for removing the 
difficulty.  

(2) Any order under sub-section (1) may be made so as to be retrospective to any date not earlier than 

the appointed day. 

14. Power to make rules.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, 

make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act. 

(2)  In  particular,  and  without  prejudice  to  the  generality  of  the  foregoing  powers,  such  rules  may 

provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:—  

(a) the manner in which casual vacancies in the Varishta Panchayat may be filled;  

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(b)  the  meetings  of  the  Varishta  Panchayat,  the  conduct  of  business  and  the  procedure  to  be 

followed at such meetings;  

(c) any other matter which has to be, or may be, prescribed.  

(3) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid as soon as may be after it is made before each House 
of Parliament while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session 
or 1[in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the 
session or the successive sessions aforesaid] both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or 
both  Houses  agree  that  the  rule  should  not  be  made,  the  rule  shall  thereafter  have  effect  only  in  such 
modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be, so however that any such modification or annulment 
shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.  

1. Subs. by Act 4 of 1986, s. 2 and the First Schedule, for centain words  (w.e.f. 15-5-1986).  

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